Five dental myths worth unlearning
Some of the most confident dental advice going around is wrong, and a few bits of it actively damage teeth. Here are five common beliefs and what is actually true.
Dentistry attracts confident advice. Some of it is handed down, some of it is invented on the spot, and a few pieces of it are actively wearing people's teeth away.
Here are five of the most common, and what is actually true.
Myth 1: the more you brush, the better
This one is worth putting first, because it is the one that does real damage.
Twice a day is the target. Brushing much more than that, or brushing hard, does not get teeth cleaner. It wears the enamel down and pushes the gums back off the necks of the teeth. That is where the sensitivity to cold comes from, and neither enamel nor gum grows back.
The technique matters far more than the effort. A soft brush, held at about forty-five degrees to the gum line, moved in small circles, for two minutes. If your brush splays out within a few weeks, you are pressing much too hard.
Between brushes, a rinse with water after eating and sugar-free gum both do more good than an extra scrub.
Myth 2: white teeth are healthy teeth
Colour tells you almost nothing about health.
Naturally, teeth vary in shade from person to person, and enamel yellows a little with age as the dentine underneath shows through. That is normal. Meanwhile a dazzlingly white tooth can have decay inside it, a crack through it, or gum disease around it.
Whitening is a cosmetic treatment. It changes the colour of enamel and does nothing whatsoever to a cavity. It also works properly only on teeth that are already healthy, which is why we check before we whiten rather than after.
Myth 3: if you brush well, you can skip flossing
A toothbrush cannot get between two teeth that are touching. No brush can, at any price, with any technique.
Those contact points are exactly where a large share of decay and gum disease starts, because they are sheltered, they hold food, and nothing disturbs them. You can be excellent at brushing and still be leaving the highest-risk surfaces in your mouth completely untouched.
If you hate string floss, that is fine. Floss picks, interdental brushes and water flossers all work. Interdental brushes in particular suit people with larger gaps or bridgework. The tool matters much less than doing something once a day.
Myth 4: a good brush before the appointment will cover for me
Everyone has done this in the car park. It does not work, and here is the part that matters more: it does not need to.
Gum disease shows in the gums, not on the surface of the teeth, and gums do not change in five minutes. Wear from grinding, tartar under the gum line, early decay between teeth, and receding gums are all visible regardless of how recently you brushed.
The reason to say this plainly is that embarrassment keeps people away from dentists for years, and those years are expensive. We are not scoring you. We are trying to find things while they are still small, and we can only give you useful advice if we know what is actually happening at home.
Brush before your appointment by all means. Just not as a cover story.
Myth 5: children do not need a dentist until their adult teeth come in
The guidance is a first visit by the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing.
That is roughly five years earlier than most people assume. The reason is only partly about finding problems. It is that a child who meets a dentist while nothing hurts learns that this is a boring, ordinary place. A child whose first visit happens because something is wrong learns something very different, and often keeps it for life.
Baby teeth matter in their own right too. They hold the space for the adult teeth behind them, and they can decay and abscess like any other tooth.
The thread running through all five
Four of these five myths point the same way: they encourage doing more of the visible, satisfying thing, and less of the boring one.
Brushing feels productive. Flossing does not. Whitening is visible. A check-up is not. Scrubbing hard feels thorough. Going gently feels lazy.
The dull version is the one that keeps teeth. Twice a day, gently, plus between the teeth once a day, plus somebody with a light looking properly twice a year.
A full check-up and clean is a fixed $249, which covers the exam, the scale and clean, fluoride and any bitewing x-rays you need. We claim your health fund on the spot, and many funds cover it in full.
Read more: How to brush and floss properly
Oral health FAQ
Can you brush your teeth too much?
Yes. Twice a day is the target, and more than that with a firm brush or a heavy hand wears enamel and makes gums recede. Enamel does not grow back and neither does gum, so this is one of the few dental problems people genuinely cause themselves through effort.
Does whitening make teeth healthier?
No. Whitening changes the colour of enamel and does nothing to decay, gum disease or cracks. A very white tooth can have a cavity in it. Whitening is a cosmetic treatment and it works best on teeth that are already healthy.
Do I really need to floss if I brush well?
Yes, because a brush physically cannot get between two touching teeth. Those contact points are where a large share of decay and gum disease begins. If you dislike floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser are fine alternatives. The tool matters far less than doing it.
Will my dentist know I have not been flossing?
Yes, within a few seconds, from the state of the gums rather than the surface of the teeth. There is no need to be embarrassed about it. We would much rather know what is really happening at home so the advice we give you is useful.
When should a child first see a dentist?
By the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth coming through. Not when the adult teeth appear, which is a common belief and about five years too late.
